New board members, officers named for Western Growers

Western Growers ushered in the newest additions to its board of directors during the association’s 83rd annual meeting in La Quinta, Calif., in November.

The 12 new board members include:

Joseph Aiello, Uesugi Farms, Inc., Gilroy, Calif.;

Loren Booth, Booth Ranches LLC, Orange Cove, Calif.;

Larry Cox, Lawrence Cox Ranches, Brawley, Calif.;

Luawanna Hallstrom, Harry Singh & Sons, Oceanside, Calif.;

Frank Maconachy, Ramsay Highlander, Inc., Gonzales, Calif.;

John Maulhardt, San Ysidro Farms, Inc., Guadalupe, Calif.;

Tom Nunes, Jr., The Nunes Co., Salinas, Calif.;

Jack Pandol, Jr., The Grapery, Bakersfield, Calif.;

Garland Reiter, Reiter Affiliated Co’s, Oxnard, Calif.;

Vic Smith, Fresh Innovations LLC, Yuma, Ariz.;

Glenn Stith, Monsanto Co., Roseville, Calif.;

Jack Vessey, Vessey and Co., Inc., Holtville, Calif.

Booth and Hallstrom join Catherine Funnchi from Tri-Fanucchi Farms Inc., Bakersfield, Calif. and Carol Chandler from Chandler Farms LP, Selma, Calif., in boosting the number of women on the board to four.

“I have full confidence in the new board members, and I know they will serve our association and this industry with distinction,” said Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif.

Western Growers is an agriculture trade association whose nearly 3,000 members grow, pack and ship 90 percent of the fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in California and 75 percent of those commodities in Arizona. This totals about half of the nation’s fresh produce.